FOR SALE

Where would we be without Al Gore inventing the Internet? I'd probably be a few pounds lighter, a bit more educated, and perhaps even have a girlfriend. And what about Google? We'd probably still be paying for email and asking things like "a/s/l" to strangers in Yahoo! chat rooms.I used these 2 new age inventions to learn some things about the country where I'll land in just a few hours. So in the spirit of education, here's a comparison between America and what I think I'll be calling the great country of Zambia (I'm not pulling a Snowden, just a mere, factual comparison).

1 kilometer of roadway in Zambia is equivalent to either (you choose) 71 kilometers of roadway or 22 km in natural gas pipeline in America. *

Along with Britain and the Soviet Union, America controlled the Allies, who the Zambian military helped by fighting in Burma in WWII.

America’s median age of 37 is 20 years more than Zambia’s. *

American airports outnumber those in Zambia 154:1. *

Both countries have about the same number of people living with HIV/AIDS --- but take this into account: the population of Zambia is just over 14 million; add another zero and multiply by about 2 and a quarter to get America’s. *

Both Zambia and America are in the top 10 world “producers” of copper: Zambia 8th, American 2nd. Yet Zambia still produces half as much as America.

Both Zambia and America boast one of the seven natural wonders of the world (Victoria Falls and the Grand Canyon).

Children in America will go to school a full decade longer than those in Zambia (primary to tertiary education). *

Collapse of the world copper market in 1975 devastated in the Zambian economy. This is the equivalent (to my research) of America’s (and the rest of the world’s) 1930s.

Credits and debits: neither of us can budget, but America went 44% over budget whereas Zambia ended 23% over last year. I won’t even mention current account balances… *

Depending on where you are in America, you could be anywhere between 7 hours and a half day behind Zambia. *

Fertility rate in children born per woman in Zambia is a little shy of 6. America is 1/3 of that. One reason may be because our contraceptive prevalence rate doubles that of Zambia. *

For every American below the poverty line, there’s a Zambian plus 3 others (as a percent of population). *

Four-fifths of Zambians over the age of 15 can read and write English, whereas 99% of Americans the same age can (unfair advantage?). *

Government spending on education is about 4x higher (by percentage of GDP) in America than in Zambia. *

Homo erectus first left Zambia’s home continent of Africa about 1,800 millennia ago, coming to America’s somewhere between 30 and 14 millennia ago. It was a long walk.

I absolutely love this. Zambia’s gross national savings (as % of GDP) is 50% more than America’s, which is a decline from years past when it was double. *

If you think American healthcare is bad, our health related expenditures are 3x of our already 750x larger GDP. *

If Zambia were the size of my hometown, over half the population would die this year alone to HIV/AIDS.

In the 2000s, the World Bank approved a $3.8 billion debt relief package for the country. In 2008, America’s federal government put in $30 billion to bail out Bear Stearns; that is just Trivial compared to the Absurd, Ridiculous, and Preposterous amount of money which followed.

Independence Day in Zambia is celebrated on October 24. America celebrates hers on July 4.

Like to drink and live? As an American you could turn 21 again after the average Zambian passes away at 52 years old. *

Livingstone was Zambia’s first capital. The City of York was America’s (I know, I know…depending on which date you take…)

Nshima (ground cornmeal) is considered to be the staple food of Zambia. McDonald’s is America’s.

On average, Zambian women have kids 6 years before American women do (19 vs. 25). But the maternal mortality rate is 21 times more likely in Zambia than in America --- that’s more than the average age of birth! *

Population density in Zambia is only half that of America, but Americans have 44x more physicians and 50% more hospital beds (each per 1,000 people). *

Rural population in America is the exact same as the entire Zambian population, times 4. *

The national symbol for Zambia is the African fish eagle, which looks much like America’s bald eagle.

The official currency of Zambia is the new kwacha (ZMW). America operates off an inflated dollar (USD).

The UK took over the territory of Northern Rhodesia in 1923. Jackson sent the Native Americas packing about 4 scores and 7 years earlier.

With a population of 3.1 million people, Zambia’s capital (and largest) city Lusaka would be America’s 17th largest metropolitan area.

Yum. 30% percent more adults are obese in America, and, not surprisingly, 13% less children under 5 are underweight. *

Zambia and America have similar governments, each with executive (presidents), judicial (supreme courts), and legislative (Congress/House and Parliament) branches. *

Zambia declared independence in 1964, America in 1776. *

Zambia’s name comes from the Zambezi River. America’s name comes from Amerigo Vespucci (or so we’re taught).

And finally…while America is listed as the “world’s largest consumer of cocaine,” Zambia, on the other hand, is listed as a “major consumer of cannabis.” I’ll let you decide where I fall.

All of this tells me I'm walking into a completely unknown, very different, and likely very fun country, hopefully to do some great things for an equally great organization. I welcome this experience with open arms, and look forward to every second of it.

* indicates fact was derived using statistics found in the World Factbook